" "And I swear that
thou liest," says Lancelot, "and furthermore I swear that he
neither lay with her nor touched her. And may it please God to
take vengeance upon him who has lied, and may He bring the truth
to light! Moreover, I will take another oath and swear, whoever
may dislike it or be displeased, that if I am permitted to
vanquish Meleagant to-day, I will show him no mercy, so help me
God and these relics here!" The king felt no joy when he heard
this oath.
(Vv. 5007-5198.) When the oaths had been taken, their horses
were brought forward, which were fair and good in every way.
Each man mounts his own home, and they ride at once at each other
as fast as the steeds can carry them; and when the horses are in
mid-career, the knights strike each other so fiercely that there
is nothing left of the lances in their hands. Each brings the
other to earth; however, they are not dismayed, but they rise at
once and attack each other with their sharp drawn swords. The
burning sparks fly in the air from their helmets. They assail
each other so bitterly with the drawn swords in their hands that,
as they thrust and draw, they encounter each other with their
blows and will not pause even to catch their breath. The king in
his grief and anxiety called the Queen, who had gone up in the
tower to look out from the balcony: he begged her for God's sake,
the Creator, to let them be separated.
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